


you don't own me (i'm not just one of your many toys)

by rainbowagnes



Series: Diviner & Diviner [3]
Category: The Diviners Series - Libba Bray
Genre: Cut Scene from Lair of Dreams, Discussion of Abortion, Female Friendship, Female Relationships, Gen, Pro-choice feminism, ohhh my darling Theta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-01-31 22:49:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12691773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowagnes/pseuds/rainbowagnes
Summary: Theta has a few. . . . concerns about Evie's engagement.(AKA a scene I desperately wish was included in "The Lair of Dreams. For reasons.)





	you don't own me (i'm not just one of your many toys)

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like Theta was a little too quick to swallow Evie and Sam's fake engagement and a little too onboard with it, considering her own past. 
> 
> Also, Theta and Evie's friendship is one of my absolute favourite things and I can't wait for them to join Ling and Become the Three Woman Team of Revenge in Book 4!

Theta waits until Mabel’s gone to corner Evie in the bathroom.

“We need to talk, Evil.” 

“We most pos-i-tutely do. Did you see the new Buster Keaton film? The ending was the most romantic thing I’ve ever-” 

Theta rolled her eyes. How could Evie be so unendingly childish? Then again, Theta had been a child as well when she got married to Roy, though life had killed any trace of the girl she’d been. 

“For Valentino’s sake, stop beating around the bush. We both know why you’re insured to a fakeloo artist who you’re never had a civil conversation with in your life.”

Evie tensed her jaw and stared at the floor. Theta held her by the elbow and pulled her down next to her on the cold porcelain lip of the bathtub.

“Look, Evil. I need you firing on all sixes right now. You’re seventeen years old. I don’t know what’s been going on with Sam, or what you’ve told him, or why he’s actually decided to do the honourable thing for once-”

“Hmmph.” Evie made a noise that clarified exactly how much honour she though Sam Lloyd had. 

“- but the important thing is, it’s your choice. And you need to know all your options.” 

“I don’t exactly have any options.” 

“Yeah, you do. It’s 1927. There’s places where it’s clean. Safe. Medical. Not legal, but people hush up after they’ve seen the kale.” 

Evie batted at her eyes tiredly. “Theta, I don’t think you really understand the kind of hot water I’m in.”

“Sure I do. I was in that hot water, at one point.I was pregnant. I went to a hospital, and then I wasn’t.”

Realisation dawned on Evie. Her eyes widened, her lips forming a perfect, startled O. Her body went slack with shock and the teacup she was holding smashed against the bathroom’s marble floor with a delicate clatter.

“I’m careless, Theta, but I’m not careless like that.”

“You don’t always need to be careless.”

Evie looked positively sick.

“But that would mean I . .. . that I… . with Sam Lloyd.” Her lips curled back in a look of purest revulsion.

“I mean, I assumed that you would have some interest in having sex with Sam Lloyd, given that you’re engaged to married to him.”

Evie gave a tiny shudder and Theta knew. Instantly.

Not a shotgun marriage, the conclusion her mind had immediately jumped to. Good. She almost wept with relief. Still, a studio engagement had it’s fair share of dangerous repercussions.

“This is a studio setup, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“This is a sham marriage, set up by your own Mr. Phillips, to sell tabloids.”

Evie’s shoulders fell, a tension she hadn’t fully registered being released.

“Maybe.”

Theta groaned.

“Evil, how could you be dumb enough to fall for a trick like this? You’re a bright, shiny thing for the public to ohh and ahh over. In two weeks you’ll be a scandal.”

“Good. People know the names of scandals.”

“EVIL!” Theta ground her palm into the sink. “You really think your Mr. Phillips cares about you? He cares about selling ad time and subscriptions. One accusation on his part and you become the fallen woman.” 

She’d seen it happen before with her fellow dancing girls. Over and over and over again. In this city, women were disposable commodities that the men in charge seemed to assume there would be an endless supply of, in much the same way as radio parts and boxes of Pears soap, continually flying off the assemble line and into the supermarket. 

“I’m sorry, Theta.” 

Evie’s face had gone red and blotchy. 

“Ahh, Evil. It’s fine. I’m sorry on my part. It’s just . .. take care of yourself, allright? Make sure you’re careful.” 

“Careful” was not a word Theta would have ever attributed to Evie O’Neill, but god damnit, she needed to be. 

“I will, Theta. Promise. Also … thank you. Very much. For the . .. help, earlier. When you thought it might be a different problem.” 

She suddenly wrapped Theta in a hug. Theta’s chin rested right on top of her blonde curls. 

“ ‘Course, Evil. You know I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some slang terms: "insured" meant "engaged"  
> "fakeloo artist" means "con man"
> 
> God Evie has grown up so much since book 2.
> 
> Send me prompts of any kind!


End file.
